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Topic: Rubber Cheese with spots (Read 1138 times)

I made my first pressed cheese last week ( sort of). Was supposed to be a butterkäse made from whole milk and a little cream. I used a pair of old Margarine tubs, one with holes and one as a follower because I could not wait for the ones I ordered ( impatient). Pessed with a variety of heavy objects and brined it for about 5 hrs. Placed it on the counter on chopsticks and air dried for 2 days, then put it in a covered box with a damp cloth , on chopsticks on a plate and turned it every day for the last week and a half.

It feels like one of those old "Superballs" if I throw it, it will come back twice as fast as it left. It has also developed two small reddish spots on one edge and a host of nasty little green spots that come back after vinegar and heavy salt water touchups.

I'm sure I did everything wrong ( no patients) but what would cause the rubber thing? It has only aged a week and a half so far.

If the cheese seems very moist, and easily grows unwanted molds, there was probably too much whey, and thus lactose, remaining in the curds from insufficient cooking (for a "hard" cheese). That might account for the rubbery spring you describe (though using too much rennet causes tough, rubbery curd as well). If there was too much lactose still in the curd, you may find the finished product tastes sour. If you keep up with washing the rind with a light brine, you might find it naturally develops a tacky, then reddish-orange b.linens type ("stinky cheese") rind.

I've found that butterkaese can get rubbery like that pretty easily if you stir it too much (done that accidentally a few times). It still always tastes awesome, though - but it's absolutely HEAVEN when made with spring milk.

I have got 2 red spots starting and am thinking the stinky cheese rind may be the way this is heading. The green spots are wiping off, but I may try to dig some of them out as they are getting deeper. Can I sanitize with chlorine and hot water, or is it better to boil all the molds and spoons? I'm going scientific on the next one and I'm going to try this again in a week or two when my press is finished. I'm going to do some FD starter in ice cubes and maybe some thermo too. In the meantime, I'll make some beer and Landjäger ( or maybe Bratwürst) to go with the cheese when it's done. I'm working on a place to put a cave fridge, I can have one if I can walk across the road to put the cheese away. ( sounds like a why did the cheese cross the road joke of some sort).

It'll come in handy if I make bigger cheeses some day, I can roll them down to the house.

Hi all !!Quick update. This is a really earthy tasting sort of Gruyere(sp). Like laughing cow with a mushroomy aftertaste. Could have been worse. I gave it to my brother and Mom and they loved it, (after they shaved off the moldy bits).

Tomorrow I make a Butterkäse for real. Made a press and can't wait to try it out. Got a vacuum sealer too. I can't wait.

Have not made anything for about two weeks, fell off my motorcycle on July 4th and have been nursing a very sore bunch of ribs. Managed to make a batch of beer ( Munich Dunkel) to go with the cheeses I have made since the last post :-) Next weekend maybe another Bütterkäse !! Looking forward to tasting the last one, but I've another month or two to go.